


An empire falling

by duckiesandlemons



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: AU, Crossover, Genderbending, Multi, characters to be added as story progresses, it doesn't get too horribly bloody, the archive warning is a just in case
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2014-01-27
Packaged: 2018-01-01 04:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duckiesandlemons/pseuds/duckiesandlemons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they fled the castle, grim reminders behind them, Tetsuya looks over at his sister and realizes something has changed.  Something similar to the beast that replaced their father on the throne and he is inexplicably afraid.</p><p>(Fire Emblem AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolgue:  A Beast on the Throne

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a Fire Emblem junkie before I'm a KnB junkie, and eventually (like most things I end up getting into) I knew I was going to write an FE AU. I decided to be preemptive. Pairings are in the air but end game is KagaAka.

**Unit List:**

**Tetsuya, Dark Mage**  
Level 1  
Skills:  Shade (Tetsuya Only, enemies will not attack him if another target is available)

 **Taiga, Tiger Laguz**  
Level 3  
Skills:  Even Rhythm (Increases Hit +10 on even turns, beast laguz only)

 **Sei, Lord**  
Level 1  
Skills:  Dual Strike + (Increases the chance for a dual attack by 10%, lords only)

 **Kouki, Pegasus Knight**  
Level 1  
Skills:  Speed +2 (Increases Speed by 2)

**\----------**

It wasn’t that his sister had a rebellious streak, per se, as it was their kingdom suffered a surprise attack from the invading army up north and had struck their king down.  With that did Kouki, bless her gentle soul, urge them to escape with scant weapons and a few supplies.  She even said that she had contacted an old friend of hers and he was to come escort them under the safety of night.  Predictably, his sister had gone against that idea.  She hated defeat, and most of all hated the idea of running away with her tail between her legs.  So it wasn’t that Sei, the eldest of the Akashi-Kuroko family, was rebellious it was just that she had ideals.

Convictions, Tetsuya supposed, a strict ethos she followed as closely as she could.

“Father!” Lady Sei shouted as she slammed the door to the throne room open, seeing their father at the head of the room fending off the leader of the invasion.  He looked to be in desperate straits, surrounded by attackers, and Tetsuya nodded as his sister gave him a severe look.  Sei’s blade was drawn the moment one of the soldiers noticed her, the Fighter’s axe drawn and brought in for a swing.  Never underestimate Sei, Tetsuya remembered, because she was good with a sword.  Deadly, even, and Tetsuya reached for the Flux tome he had tucked under his arm when Kouki had been pushing them to leave.

“Sei, move!” he shouted, the red head weaving to the side and taking on a new attacker while he cast his magic.  The fighter fell, blood seeping from his body, but Tetsuya ignored that, stepping over the corpse to press on with Sei.  Each clash with the enemy soldiers the two dealt with ease, the only difficulty being when a soldier had gotten a one up on Sei.  He had caught her on the side, Sei stepping back to gather herself back together.  Tetsuya had stepped in with another Flux spell, the soldier dropping to the ground after the dark magic had speared its way through his body.

“Almost there,” Sei had grit her teeth, her determination showing through.

It was different than the Sei he was used to seeing.  The Sei who was assured of herself and had confidence in her skills, who told Tetsuya that even if he was not good in the physical aspect of fighting his magic genius was astounding and coupled with his low presence then he would be terrifying in combat.  This Sei was concentrated, vicious, and with how she shrugged off the wound like it was nothing and engaged the next enemy he knew she had a plan.

Eventually, they were swarmed, surrounded by people who were sneering.  The fact that they got the two royal brats with the king the only thing on their mind.  Sei could only fight so much, too, and Tetsuya’s mind was growing weary from the constant casting of magic.  From the corner of his eye he could still see their father fighting—a league away, it seemed, and it was amazing how they had not moved from that one spot.

His father and the enemy, whoever the enemy was.

“Lady Sei, Lord Tetsuya!” the shout was familiar, followed by the noise of glass breaking and a mighty roar.  It made the men scream, fear rooted into their bones.

“T-Tiger!”

A powerful form leapt into the midst of the field, Kouki not too far behind on her Pegasus.  With the two beasts combined there was barely enough room, but Kouki had encouraged them to follow her and the laguz (how she knew a laguz Tetsuya would not ask). 

The tiger was efficient, pinning the soldiers to the ground and aiming for the throat.  Each scream strangled, and with the added power of Kouki who kept them at bay with her Pegasus they eventually reached the throne.  “Father, hold on!” Sei shouted, rushing forward.  Tetsuya was not too far behind, just as worried, only to stop with Sei when the enemy leader dropped to the ground with a sickly thud.  This shouldn’t have been disturbing, not like it was.  The entire room was covered in corpses, some killed by Tetsuya himself.  Death was not a stranger, but somehow this…this was sickly.  A lingering evil that left him unsure and wary, because this death was different.

“Ah, Sei, Tetsuya, there you are,” their father stalked to his throne, sitting on it.  Tetsuya watched how he draped his cape over the arm, how he slammed his sword in the tile next to him.  Normally, at the strength his father had used, a sword would break.  This one just embedded itself, being used as a rest for their father’s hand.  “It seems a nation wants to be at war with us,” a soft sigh.  “Pity.”

“Weren’t we planning trade negotiations with them?” Tetsuya asked, still and cautious.  Behind him, he heard the tiger laguz snarl, Kouki’s Pegasus fidget, and it signaled something was off.

“…were we?” and there it was. A flash of gold, something that sent a chill down Tetsya’s spine.  Sei was still standing there, her body seeming to be paralyzed.  By what, Tetsuya didn’t know, but he did know his sister would have said something by now.

“Well,” their father continued, “I changed my mind.  I was planning to conquer them.”

Warning bells went off in Tetsuya’s head and he grabbed his sister’s arm, turning to run.  “Tetsuya,” she was cut off by Tetsuya handing her to Kouki, letting the Pegasus Knight haul his sister up on the back of her mount, and then looking at the tiger.  Nothing was said, the tiger letting him get on its back and dashing for the way they came.  Kouki was not too far behind, his sister still silent, and Tetsuya was afraid.  His mind was racing, thinking back to what he saw, and even the wind against his face as they rushed through a burning courtyard to get to the exit couldn’t force his thoughts away.

That man on the throne was no longer their father.


	2. Chapter One:  On an orange horizon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They flee further from the castle in terror, only for an ambush to wait for them. Here, in that forest, does change happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'd, and next chapter character stats will appear at the end of the chapter since there are getting to be so many of them ahahaha. Which means that if you want you can skip them.

**Tetsuya, Dark Mage**  
Level 2  
Skills:  Shade (Tetsuya Only)

 **Taiga, Tiger Laguz**  
Level 3  
Skills:  Even Rhythm (Beast Laguz only)

 **Sei, Lord**  
Level 2  
Skills:  Dual Strike + (Lords only)

 **Kouki, Pegasus Knight**  
Level 2  
Skills:  Speed +2

 **Shun, Archer**  
Level 1  
Skills:  Skill +2 (Increases Skill by 2), Insight (Shun and Kazunari only, increases Accuracy by twenty and increases vision in Fog of War maps by 5 tiles)

 **Rinnosuke, Priest**  
Level 1  
Skills:  Miracle (User has a chance of surviving a life threatening attack)

The chill air stung Tetsuya’s lungs, made it hard to breathe, and it wasn’t until the tiger laguz stopped running that he realized how hard he was breathing.  Tetsuya swallowed, surprised at how parched he was.  His throat was scratchy, saliva running down thick, and he wondered just how panicked he had been—still was.  Above, Kouki passed overhead before landing a few paces in front of them.  She had been flying low to the ground and her Pegasus looked antsy.  “We should be a good distance from the castle and any enemy pursuers,” Kouki said as she dismounted her Pegasus.  Sei followed, still unnaturally quiet.  It bothered him still but he said nothing, getting off the back of the tiger to allow it to change back into its human form.

A tall red head stood up, cracking his neck and rubbing at the back of his shoulders.  He was impressively built, like most beast laguz were, and his tail flicked behind him in agitation.  “Kouki, when you said you wanted to cash in on that favor I wasn’t expecting you to kidnap the children of the royal house Akashi,” the laguz griped.  Kouki frowned.

“I’m in service to said house and I wasn’t kidnapping, I was saving them!”

“Pretty sure we broke laws—“

“Saving us from what?” Sei cut in at that moment, the first words she had said outside of battle commands and worried calls for their father.  Kouki fell silent, looking away, before back at Sei.  It was the first time that Tetsuya had seen the attendant so grave, a look of death seeming to be in her eyes.

“From the beast that has claimed your father.”

Sei frowned, ready to say something, until the red head cut in, “She’s right.  I smelled it—there’s something not right with him.”

“You have no—“

“Sister, let’s listen to them about this for a moment,” Tetsuya cut in smoothly.  She bristled, anger and unsureness resting deep in her bones, and Tetsuya understood.  “You saw how father was, something had happened to him,” something Tetsuya did not like.  He still remembered the fear from seeing his father cut down that man, of the callus words coming from the mouth that once spoke of peace.

“…then we have no choice but to flee and collect our bearings,” Sei hated admitting defeat, it was obvious by the grimace on her face but the important thing was she understood.  “When the time comes, we’ll come back again.”  He could only nod his head in agreement.  “But you, laguz, who are you?” the tiger laguz frowned, looking affronted at being talked to like that.

“Taiga,” was all he answered, walking past her, “the only reason I’m helping is because I owe Kouki a favor.  That’s all.”

“He’s worried in his own way,” the Pegasus Knight supplied.  “But he’s from a mercenary group that I helped a while ago.  Their name is Seirin.”  They started following Taiga, Kouki guiding her Pegasus by the reins.  Their conversations were small after that, quiet, and they needed to find a place to rest for the night.  Somewhere far from—

Taiga stopped, looking around with alert eyes.  Tetsuya reached for his tome and Sei was readying her weapon.  There was a tense silence, and then Taiga was moving out of the way, an arrow landing where he once stood.  “There they are, the royal twins!” someone shouted and Kouki was getting on her Pegasus.  “The king ordered to bring them back, kill the other two!  And remember, a beast laguz is with them so fire mages up front!”

“Cowards,” Sei mumbled, pushing Tetsuya behind her as she drew her rapier.  They were surrounded, the forest dark, and they could barely see anyone.  There was the sound of footsteps, someone rushing forward, and Tetsuya was pushed aside only to see the clash of metal.  Sparks were flying and Sei had easily repelled the blade user who had tried to sneak up on him.  “Stay vigilant, they have the advantage,” she clicked her tongue.  “If only we had torches.”

Taiga was already grappling with another soldier, pushing them back and transforming.  Kouki had gone air born, her Pegasus dodging an oncoming attack from another blade user.  It wasn’t obvious at first but they were slowly being pushed off the small path they were on deeper into the woods, blades clashing and Tetsuya sending spell after spell against these soldiers.  Which meant it was getting darker and darker, and the only light they had was from the fire spells being cast that caught the forest on fire.  There was a gurgling yell as Sei felled a mage that got too close, leaving only who knows how many left. 

“Can you sense any disruptions within the ether?” Sei asked. 

“I’ve not advanced in my magic studies that far,” he responded.  There was movement behind him and he turned, eyes widening and an axe falling hard.  Sei had managed to pull him away just in time but a deep gash still rested on his shoulder.  It stung, and the pain was sharp, but Tetsuya grit his teeth and tried to pull through.  In the background he could hear Kouki yelling for Taiga to watch out, of the laguz roaring, and the sound of fire crashing forth against the trees.  Sei pushed forward, rapier shoving through the fighter’s exposed chest, and she pulled back, let his body fall.

“Are you okay?” she was looking around for other enemies.  Tense, brow creased, confusion with that anger all over again—it had been a trying night and him getting hurt wasn’t helping any.

“If we can shake them I can start tending to my wounds.”

“Fair enough let’s—“

They were cut off by another enemy seeming to appear out of nowhere—a thief.  Sei and Tetsuya had to separate.  He landed hard on his bad arm, a hiss of pain escaping him, and the thief seemed to notice.  The enemy thief turned to him, blade raised for a killing strike, and Tetsuya was reaching for his tome.  His tome that he had dropped when he landed.  He managed to roll out of the way of the first strike, towards his tome, and when he picked it up the thief was already rushing towards him.  Tetsuya opened his book, readied his spell, but it would be too late, the thief was faster.  Regardless, he steeled himself and started murmuring the chant for his Flux spell.  The thief was getting closer, blade drawn back—

A whistling noise flew right by Tetsuya’s ears and he stopped chanting when the thief fell with a gurgling cry.  An arrow was sticking right out of his neck, and the thief tried to get up, only for another to get him dead in the eye.

“Taiga, you weren’t at the rendezvous point so we got worried,” there were hands helping him up and when Tetsuya righted himself he noticed a woman with a bow and a man holding a heal staff.  An archer and a priest, friends of Taiga.

“L-lady Shun, sorry we got held up and I can’t transform, used up too much energy,” Taiga had pushed an enemy towards Kouki and the Pegasus Knight cut that one down with her lance.  They looked fine, which was good.  He hadn’t been able to pay attention to his allies considering the chaos around them.  Sei herself was approaching after having slain another soldier.

“You’re a priest right, my brother needs help,” she was breathing heavily, blood dripping down her arms, and once again Tetsuya had to wonder if it was the enemies’ or her own.

“Rinnosuke, tend to the wounded, I’ve got this,” the archer notched another arrow, firing it.  It startled Kouki when it flew right by her but a soldier sneaking up on them fell.  Tetsuya looked back at the worried priest, who simply helped him sit back down and brought his staff up to the gash on his shoulder.  The pain seemed to melt away under the holy light, and he felt much better despite the wound still open and raw.

“We need to get out, follow us this way!” Shun was moving, firing off another arrow, and rushing back the direction which she came from.  “The others are waiting, let’s move it!”  Rinnosuke was helping Tetsuya up, moving as fast he could while carrying a wounded man.  Tetsuya felt helpless, looking over his shoulder where Taiga was pushing back the last of the enemies that seemed to have chased them onto Sei and Kouki’s awaiting weapons.  When clear enough, Kouki broke through the tree tops to fly overhead while the other two ran to join them.

They came upon a couple of horses waiting patiently for their riders, Shun jumping on the back of one and helping Sei up.  Rinnosuke helped Tetsuya up first and then got on.  Immediately, the horses were brought to a gallop through the forest.  A roar and then there was a rippling light, a tiger flashing past.  Taiga must have managed to get his strength up then.  “We’ll be taking you to the camp,” Shun was telling them.  “There you’ll meet our company’s commander and we’ll figure out where to take you from there.”

“Take us to Rakuzan territory,” Sei said.

“Rakuzan!?  They won’t just let any mercenary troop through their borders!”

“They’ll let you in if I’m there.  My father means war, and I have every reason to strike back.”

Sei’s words were harsh.  A severing blow on their tie to the throne—and that’s probably why Tetsuya noticed it.  Why he was able to see it now through the frantic beating of his heart and the rush of wind on his face as they fled even further from the burning forest and castle.  As they fled, the smell of burning wood behind them as a grim reminder of what has happened to their peace, he realized something in his sister has changed.  A cruel golden eyed beast, similar to what had taken their father, was emerging.

Tetsuya did not know how he felt about that. 


	3. Chapter Two:  In the morning of fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seirin takes the Royal Twins in and plans to reach Rakuzan are made, but a surprise attack forces them to depart sooner than planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for slurs used against one of the characters, though it's mostly Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn jargon it doesn't change the fact it's, well, racism. Also, character stats (just levels and skills) are now posted at end of chapter due to how lengthy they can get but can easily be skipped. Just scroll past.

It seemed as if they had been riding forever.  Tetsuya, at some point, had managed to nod off during their frantic ride.  Something he chastised himself for when he jolted back awake.  Even on horseback they could be attacked any moment.  However, his struggle was in vain eventually he found himself drifting off again.  Fatigue was finally catching up to him, and the fact he had been wounded earlier was not helping.  He noticed his heart wasn’t beating frantically and that his body felt cooler than it had been.  He looked up to notice Rinnosuke looking over his shoulder in worry.  With Tetsuya nodding off like he was the other must have been afraid he would fall off.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered and straightened himself a bit more.

“We’re almost there!” Shun shouted.  She and Sei were slightly ahead of them, Kouki above, and Taiga at the rear.  Tetsuya wondered how long they truly had been riding.  “We’ll take you in, don’t worry,” the trio from Seirin were accommodating, kind.  Kouki must have done something big for them if she had cashed in on a favor offered to her.  When and how, when Kouki had always been at their side as an attendant, Tetsuya would have to ask her himself to see.

The horses slowly turned their gallop into a light trot, the chill settling further into Tetsuya’s bones, and he was shivering violently when they made it to the outskirts of a small camp with a fire going.  Tents were pitched, a wagon near the back, and the smell of food filled the air and reminded Tetsuya of the hunger that accompanied his weariness.  Taiga moved past them, shifting back to his human form and talking with one of the people near the fire.  The person nodded before getting up, a sword strapped to their side and nary a crest on their armor.  Mercenaries, they were mercenaries.  The fact was obvious from the get go but seeing it—

The cold reality that they had fled from home, had basically committed treason, hit and Tetsuya bit his lip.

Things could be worse, they could always be much worse, and the one most affected was Sei.  Where Tetsuya clung to their mother, Sei always stood fast by her father.  She was the heir to the throne, the next ruler, and now she had dashed all hopes.  Now she stood against him with the intent of war, had cut ties to the throne.  Decisions she shouldn’t have to make yet.

“Tetsuya,” Sei’s voice drew his attention and he looked up to see weary red eyes staring at him.

“I’m fine,” he mumbled.  The horses had come to a stop, Rinnosuke getting off and then helping him down as well.  “Could you attend to my sister please?” he asked.  The priest gave him an unsure look before nodding.  He was most likely worried about the hit Tetsuya had taken earlier.  It still hurt, was still open, but Tetsuya was more concerned for Sei.  He watched as Rinnosuke fussed over Sei a bit, his sister looking confused until she realized what the priest meant.

“But my brother,” Sei insisted, voice gentle, and Rinnosuke nodded.  When he came back he looked expectant.  He meant for Tetsuya to follow him. 

“Rinnosuke, the med tent’s set up in the back!” a man with ears and tail much like Taiga shouted, although he was significantly shorter.  Standing next to the proud tiger laguz he looked a dwarf.  A cat laguz then.  Rinnosuke nodded his assent and then started moving, Tetsuya following although at a lower pace.  There was more noise throughout the camp, Kouki landing her Pegasus nearby where a Wyvern was resting and getting off.  Sei was motioned towards the fire where the person Taiga spoke to before was waiting for her, and as Tetsuya walked further into the camp he noticed weapons set up, a war tent.

These were very accomplished mercenaries, they had to have a good reputation under their belt.

Rinnosuke opened the tent flap, letting Tetsuya make his way inside first.  A woman was already there, looking to be packing up the last of some medical supplies.  “Rinnosuke is that you?” she asked.  “Are you finally back with the others?”  He nodded, and how the woman saw him Tetsuya wouldn’t know since she turned around to look at them.  Her eyes were looking around the med tent, trying to find him, and her mouth twisted into a frown, “Odd…were none of them wounded?  It sounded like you came in with a second person.”

Tetsuya stepped forward, “Here I am.”

She yelped, almost bumping into the table and toppling it over if she hadn’t caught herself in time.  “Oh, oh gods, you almost scared me,” she took an even breath, straightening up.  “So I take it you’re Tetsuya, of House Akashi?”

“I am,” he was used to these kinds of things at this point.  His palace life did insist mostly of servants trying to find him for lessons and meal times.

“Then your sister must be talking to Junpei already,” a nod.  “Well me, I’m Riko, the tactician of the Seirin Mercenary group.  I was the one who planned your escape.”  A wonderful plan, if they hadn’t underestimated his father’s persistence.  Rinnosuke guided him to a cot, motioning for him to lie down before the priest got to work opening Tetsuya’s robes to get a better look at the wound.

“Uhm, may I ask what the plan is now?” Tetsuya asked, flinching when Rinnosuke’s hands brushed over the sore skin around the wound.

Riko whistled, eyes appraising the angry gash on Tetsuya’s front, “First we get you patched up.”  That said she turned around to bring out bandages, walking over to help RInnosuke lift Tetsuya up.  Rinnosuke reached into his pouch for some vulnerary, smoothing the cool salve over the wound.  Tetsuya flinched, hands gripping the edge of the cot, but soon Riko was helping Rinnosuke wind bandages around his chest.  They were careful about aggravating the wound, but the bandages were applied on tight.  “Your clothes are damaged as well, do you want us to patch them up?” Riko asked.

“If it is not too much trouble,” he said.  Riko handed the torn shirt Rinnosuke had taken off to reach the wound, the priest leaving to most likely repair it.  It left Tetsuya huddled up under his mage robes, staring at Riko as she sat down by his side.

“To be honest, we were originally going to say no to Kouki’s request.”

“…really?” while he did want to ask why, the main issue that came to the front of his mind was money.  A stunt like the one they pulled would usually require a hefty amount of gold, gold that Kouki wouldn’t normally carry on her being.

“Yes, but we changed our mind,” Riko grinned.  “Kouki was very adamant.”

“I highly doubt it was just her that changed your mind.”

“You’re right,” Riko leaned forward, “we also said yes because the situation here demanded it.  We heard of what happened with your father, and Kouki’s been keeping us informed.” Tetsuya wondered how when the Pegasus Knight was always within sight, unless she had delivered messages by night.  It would explain many things, looking back on how secretive Kouki had been the final days before the surprise attack on their castle and their father’s swift change in attitude.

“So you knew about father,” it wasn’t a question more as it was a statement.

Riko nodded, “Yes, and we had plans to get you out early.”

“So you already had plans of staging a rebellion.”

“Only if the need arose.”

And now it did.  There was some shouting outside, one of the voices Taiga’s, and Riko sighed, “Those idiots better not be making your sister mad.”

“Sei wants to go to Rakuzan,” Tetsuya blurted out.  It had nothing to do with what they were talking about, but at the same time it did.

“…No way,” Riko shook her head.  “We were going to hide you in the neighboring Kaijou territory—Rakuzan is too far away to risk right now.”  Especially with the winter season coming soon.  While it may not get as cold in Yosen, the mountains that bordered Rakuzan would be impossible to pass at this time and they’d be forced to take Shutoku’s coastal road.  It would indeed be a long march, especially with their father’s army on them.

“She’s adamant.”

“Junpei will refuse her.”

“Lady Shun already did, but you sound like you won’t.”

“You’re the House Akashi, Rakuzan will let you in their borders if you provide proof—proof that I’m sure your sister is hiding.”

Riko truly did seem to be preparing for everything.  It made Tetsuya relax, his shoulders slumping.  He wanted to rest, and Riko noticed.  “Lie down and sleep, I’ll go talk with your sister and Junpei,” she laughed.  “Man, to think that we’re helping the royal twins of House Akashi!  What a lucky day for me!”

“You’re not being compensated.”

“I’ll take out our fee from the mountains of gold that will most likely land in our laps during the campaign.  I’ll come back with food when it’s ready!”

What a shrewd woman, Tetsuya thought as he closed his eyes to sleep.

When he woke up again it was to the sound of soft footsteps and someone sitting down by his side again, a tray being placed on to his lap with great care.  He opened his eyes, turning his head to see Sei sitting there instead of Riko.  “Sister,” he greeted, sitting up.  Sei held a hand out, forcing him to rise slowly.

“I do not wish for you to open your wound again.”

“It is healed.”

“…I worry.  Indulge your sister once.”

Tetsuya listened and instead focused his gaze on the tray of food in front of him.  A simple stew along with bread and a small flask of water greeted him.  Tetsuya thanked his sister and tore off a piece of bread, dipping it into the stew and eating it.  It was rich, delicious, and Tetsuya found himself finishing it off fast.  “So, how did your talk with the troupe leader go?” Tetsuya questioned after he down the rest of the water.

“We will head to Rakuzan, but it will be an arduous journey,” she sighed.  “Their leader wasn’t exactly fond considering the time of year but the tactician stepped in.”

“Lady Riko?” Sei nodded.  “She said that we would have to take a coastal route, along Shutoku.”

“I know, but we’ll take it if we must to reach Rakuzan territory.”

Tetsuya looked at Sei.  There were bags under her eyes, her shoulders were slouched, and her skin pale.  The past few hours had been nothing but fleeing and fighting—her body had to be weary.  “You should rest,” he said.  “It is not good for you to keep on moving like this.”

“I don’t know when father will attack, his men could be nearby,” Sei groaned, leaning forward.  “I hate this.  I don’t know how to read his actions and I’m in the dark.”

“This wouldn’t be the first victory you’ve pulled out of nowhere.”

“Yes, but who says it will be a victory,” she looked up at him.  “Tetsuya, I may be strong and I may be brave, but our father is wise and has more experience than I.”  He saw as her face contorted into a grimace, as if she was swallowing a bitter herb. 

“As much as I am loathe to admit, there is a possibility that I may not win against him.”

“…If it’s Sei,” he paused, waiting for her to look up at him, “if it’s Sei then I have full faith you will win.”

A small smile, “You put too much faith in me.”

Tetsuya wouldn’t call it faith more as he would call it knowledge of what his sister was capable of.  He knew that she would be able to do it based on the prowess she showed in battle, the level head she could keep where his hands were trembling and his mind racing.  “I think it’s enough for a brother to put his faith into his sister,” he fell quiet.

“This fight will be grueling, we can always leave you somewhere safe,” Sei was back in thought.  “I don’t want you injured, so I’ll see if we can make a request to drop you off somewhere I know you’ll be—“

“No, no that won’t be necessary.”

“Why not?”

“I’d like to help you,” he said.  “No, let me help you.”  Because Sei was his family and he didn’t know how he would react if he lost her as well.  What would he do if faced with her death?  Faced with the tyranny their father was becoming?

“Tetsuya—“

Sei was cut off by a warning shout from outside, footsteps rushing by, and the distressed cries of horses.  Tetsuya immediately got up from the cot, slipping his boots on and prepared to rush out even without his heavy outer robes.  Sei was also getting up, pinched lines on her face showing her weariness further.  The tent flap opened, Kouki rushing in.  “Lady Sei, Lord Tetsuya,” she sounded panicked, out of breath, “your father’s army has found us, the camp is surrounded!”

“They plan to lay siege on a camp this small?” Sei had her hand on the hilt of her blade, her grip on it tight.  “They are desperate.”

“So are we,” Tetsuya added.  Kouki ushered them out, handing him a Flux tome.  Seirin was already ready, each one getting into position from commands given by Riko and the man by the fire earlier.  He had a harsh look to him, and glasses, but Tetsuya gathered him to be Junpei—the troupe leader.  Kouki was already dashing to her Pegasus, nodding to another man who was mounting the wyvern Tetsuya saw coming in earlier.

“Kouki, Hiroshi, stay low to the ground!” Riko shouted, walking around Taiga and the cat eared man.  “They have archers!  Use the tents to your advantage!”

“The supplies, Riko!” Junpei snapped.  “Are you going to let them go to waste!?”

“We’ve been ambushed!” on cue, there was a burst of soldiers from the surrounding trees each one bearing the crest of House Akashi.  Riko had pulled out a Thunder tome, quickly casting it and stopping one soldier in their tracks.  They fell to a quick follow up from Junpei, the mercenary’s sword slamming down hard on the back of the soldier’s neck.  “We don’t have time to pack everything up so we’re going to fight off what we can while the others have time to grab only the essentials, then we leave!” Riko turned to look at Tetsuya and Sei, “You two, head to the back of the lines and stop any who try to come in behind us.”

“Understood,” Sei weaved through people, Tetsuya following her.

“Hey, hold up!” It was Taiga, the laguz easily catching up to them.  “I was ordered back here as well.  Usually I’d be working alongside Shinji in double teaming tactics but—“

“But what?” Tetsuya asked.  Taiga wasn’t able to answer because soon an enemy fighter had wandered over, most likely trying to sneak his way to land an ax in someone’s back.  Sei had drawn her blade already, dodging the initial swipe when the fighter saw her and lunging forward with a stab that sent the enemy back.  Even though it looked flawless, Tetsuya saw it.  The slight wobble in Sei’s step when she had grounded herself, the waver in her body.

“Taiga, please watch my sister.”

“What—oi, Tetsuya!”

Tetsuya had run forward, grabbing his sister by the shoulder and pulling her back.  “Tetsuya, what are you doing!?” but he kept his mouth shut, the dark energies of the Flux spell slamming point blank into the fighter’s chest.  There was a shout behind him and then a roar, Taiga sending another enemy flying.

“Sei, you’re tired,” Tetsuya said, turning to look at her.  It was true, she was slouched, breathing already heavy, and he could see the sway to her body.  She had been fighting non-stop, on no rest, and he wasn’t happy about it.

“I can still fight,” she grit her teeth, “I need to fight.”

“I don’t want you killed!”

“This is—“

“No arguing on the battlefield!” and Taiga had pushed them both out of the way of an attack, taking the hit and pushing back.  “But your brother is right.  You’re tired and you won’t be any help right now so lie low, only attack if you need to!”  Sei clicked her tongue but acquiesced to their requests, stepping back some.  “More could be hiding,” Taiga mumbled.

“Yeah they are,” another arrow flew by and there was the sound of someone falling down with a thud.  Tetsuya looked to see a corpse fall from behind one of the tents.  Shun jumped over one of the supply barrels, “They’re trying to use the tents to their advantage.  Junpei and the others have it handled up front.  She sent me and Kouki back here to help.”

“Kouki?” looking up he did see Kouki’s Pegasus, the young woman holding the body of a flailing mage in her grasp before tossing them down.  Taiga followed up by transforming, pouncing on the mage and bringing his jaws around their neck.

“We’ve been charged with breaking through the woods as well,” Shun notched another arrow.  “Come.”

It was relatively easy to break through the small squad about to make their way through, the five coming to a stop at a much larger force.  Sei had stayed behind them, as requested, but Tetsuya could see her hands twitching.  “There they are,” one of them shouted, “the princess and the prince!  Get them and kill the others!”  A sickening repeat of before and Tetsuya readied his tome. 

“Taiga, let’s take care of the soldiers up front!” Kouki shouted and she was charging past on her Pegasus.  Taiga followed after her, and for a minute Tetsuya was stunned with how fierce the two looked.  Taiga would startle the enemy, pin them down and allow Kouki to slam her spear down in them, or Kouki would knock one to their feet and Taiga would come in for a vicious kill.

“Those two still work really well together,” Shun hummed, letting an arrow fly that got an oncoming thief in the neck.  “Come on, let’s make quick work of this lot—oh I just thought of something great!”  Tetsuya nodded, following Shun into the fray. He looked behind to see Sei following close.  Though she looked irritated she was still listening to them.  That was good.

Tetsuya nailed an incoming soldier with his magic, Shun following up with an arrow that left them pinned to one of the trees by their throat.  It was a routine procedure after that, the two taking advantage of the chaos Kouki and Taiga were causing to pick off stragglers that had escaped the two.  A repeat process—dark magic and then arrow, arrow and then dark magic.  It worked, and they had made good headway.  There were voices behind them, a roar of a wyvern overhead, and when Tetsuya looked over his shoulder again he saw the rest of Seirin coming up behind them with bags and horses.

“You lot can’t even deal with a group of bumbling mercenaries!?” the new voice drew his attention and he saw a knight come ambling forward.  The thick armor covering the man was the same red as the rest and Tetsuya swallowed.  It would be hard to slay this one.  “Oi, I’mma let you lot free,” the knight slammed the butt of his spear in the ground, “Iffin ya hand the royal twins ovah.”

“Tough chance,” Kouki shouted but she yelped and brought her Pegasus back before the beast was stabbed by the knight.  Taiga tried his own attack but his teeth only got so deep in the armor protecting the knight who just answered with a bellowing laugh.

“A sub-human and a pretty wittle Pegasus knight think they can stop a member of House Akashi’s famous Vanguard?” a sneer.  “Think ya both need t’ remember yer place.”

“How revolting,” Sei hissed as she came up behind Tetsuya.  “It seems the knights need to remember proper etiquette.”

“Or to not open their mouths,” Shun said.  “My arrows will do nothing to him.”

“My magic then,” Tetsuya said.  “I just need to get close.”  And not get skewered.  Kouki and Taiga were dancing around the knight, trying to find an opening through the hard armor but each attempt was thwarted by the knight either attacking or brushing it off as if it were nothing.

“Then let me be the distraction,” Sei had her blade at the ready and was already walking past them.  “Surely he would not try to hurt us.”  Although by the tone of her voice Tetsuya had an inkling she knew the knight would attack either way.

“You’re tired.”

“I can rest after the battle,” with that Sei charged.  Tetsuya yelled for her to come back but Sei was already coming in for a thrust in hopes of slotting her rapier through a gap in the knight’s armor.  The knight just laughed again, moving just enough for Sei’s blade tip to glance off.  Just as expected, the knight came in for an attack that Sei barely managed to dodge.  Her feet dug deep scores into the ground as she slid a bit more than necessary.

“Sei, please!” Tetsuya was rushing in as well, panic in his throat.

“If what you told me in the tent is true, that you will support me,” Sei stood up and lunged again, “then back me up now—keep me from dying, Brother!”  She managed to get one hit in, the knight yelling loudly.

“You cur!  Royalty or not y’ aren’t getting’ away with that!”

It was then that Sei slipped, just a second too slow and her foot coming out from under her when it buckled from fatigue.  Tetsuya was quick to cast his spell, the knight screaming when the dark spears of the Flux spell came crashing through his armor.  It was just enough for Sei to move her body so that the spear only slid over her shoulder as she fell; however, her shout and the blood Tetsuya saw meant that she didn’t get away with a shallow wound.  Tetsuya quickly cast another spell in succession, the knight stumbling back and screaming as the dark magic ravaged his body.  Taiga had taken that as an opportunity to attack, pouncing on the knight and aiming for the exposed neck as the knight’s helm shifted enough for the tiger laguz to bite down.  Tetsuya watched as Taiga pulled back hard, the knight’s scream cut short.

The laguz spat out blood when he reverted back to his human form, wiping at the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand, “I hope you’re pleased with being killed by a _sub-human_.”  Taiga had said the word with such venom, Tetsuya knew the implications behind what had been said by the knight, what had most likely set Taiga’s blood aflame.  That wasn’t important now, however.  Rinnosuke was running up already, looking worried, and Tetsuya followed him to where Sei was sitting up with one hand clamped over her bloodied shoulder.

“Sister, that was reckless,” he scolded, helping rip her sleeve away for Rinnosuke to get at her wound to clean it. 

“But it helped,” she sighed.  “At this point, I will do anything to assure that we get to Rakuzan.”

“Anything?”

Sei looked as if she were about to say more but Rinnosuke had started healing her and Junpei approached with a grim look on his face.  “We’ll need to move once Rinnosuke’s done,” he said.  “We were able to grab what we can but we can’t stay here long there’s more behind us.”

“Father always was tenacious,” Tetsuya thought.  He helped Sei stand up once Rinnosuke was done, leading her to one of the horses that Seirin managed to save from the chaos from before.  “Please, sleep,” he said.  “I’ll sit behind you so you won’t fall.”

“You make it sound so life threatening,” she huffed as others came to help her up on the horse—mindful of her injury.  “But…I do need some rest.  I do not need my performance in combat to suffer anymore than it has.”  Tetsuya was helped up next, settling behind his sister and grabbing the reins of the horse.

“That is for the best.”

The other horses were saddled up with supplies, Riko sitting on the back of one with another member of Seirin (Koichi, she called him) and Kouki had already taken to the sky.  The cat laguz from before (Shinji, if he remembered what Taiga said earlier) went ahead of them, transforming and darting ahead most likely to scout.  Seirin started moving again, as quickly as possible.  They all looked haggard and tired, but not as bad as his sister did.  She soon fell asleep, hunched over and looking impossibly small.

This conflict was already putting a heavy toll on them both.

 **Tetsuya, Dark Mage**  
Level 3  
Skills:  Shade (Tetsuya only)

 **Kouki, Pegasus Knight**  
Level 3  
Skills:  Speed +2

 **Taiga, Tiger Laguz**  
Level 4  
Skills:  Even Rhythm (Beast Laguz only)

 **Shun, Archer**  
Level 2  
Skills:  Skill +2, Insight

 **Sei, Lord**  
Level 3  
Skills:  Dual Strike +


End file.
